NOW THAT'S what you call keeping your cool.
A Florida man is being hailed as a hero for saving his pet puppy from the clutches of an alligator after it was dragged into the water-- all without dropping the cigar he was smoking.
In a video widely shared on social media, the man, Richard Wilbanks, was taking a walk near the pond by his Miami home with his puppy Gunner when Gunner was set upon by a wild alligator.
The reptile shot out of the pond and took Gunner in his jaws, dragging him back into the water-- but without missing a beat, Richard leapt into the water and picked the 4-foot gator up with his bare hands.
He wrenched its jaws open and pulled the puppy to safety-- all without dropping the cigar he had been smoking.
My man saved his puppy from an alligator and kept smoking his cigar! pic.twitter.com/57s5x3U13Q
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) November 22, 2020
After the puppy escaped, the gator then clamped down on Richard's hands-- but he was able to free himself and both man and puppy walked home, covered in blood but safe, USA News Today reports.
The incredible video led to Richard Wilbanks being branded a hero and a legend on social media, with one outlet, Barstool Sports, writing "You'll never be as cool as this guy saving a puppy from getting eaten by an alligator while not dropping the cigar you're smoking."
Gunner was left with puncture wounds from the gator's teeth following the attack, but is recovering and is doing well.
See More: Alligator, Animals, Florida, Puppy, Rescue
